


Missing

by eternal_seokjin



Category: SHINee, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Bickering, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternal_seokjin/pseuds/eternal_seokjin
Summary: After a fight, Taehyung refuses to answer one of his boyfriend's calls. But this one involves their other boyfriend, and might just change their whole world.
Relationships: Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Kim Kibum | Key/Kim Taehyung | V
Kudos: 18





	Missing

One thing that could never be said about Kim Taehyung was that he was a pushover. Rather, he was stubborn to a fault. Even in matters where, in the eyes of everyone else, the easiest thing to do would be to just let it slide. In hindsight, Taehyung knew that was what had gotten him into his current predicament.

He loved Hoseok and Kibum with his entire heart. They’d been together since he was nineteen, nearly seven years now. But they did have their disagreements. And, despite their love, sometimes those disagreements turned into full-blown arguments. Key was stubborn and blunt, and Taehyung’s sullen attitude often got to him. On the reverse, Key’s bluntness often came off harshly to Tae, and they ended up bickering worse. Hoseok was always their rock, the middleman, the one to soothe everyone’s tempers and get them back to a place where they were able to talk things through rationally. They all loved one another dearly, and the reactive arguments were just a part of their relationship. Despite them, there was never any ill will held after they finally made up, moving on as a solid trio through their lives.

That was where they were at the fateful Saturday mid-morning. Taehyung and Key had gotten into it over Tae’s messy shoe collection, which even Taehyung had to admit was getting a little out of control. But when Key had come at him, his response was, as per usual, more petulant than it should have been, resulting in an argument. Taehyung had stormed out of the apartment, opting to stay with his friend across the city instead.

What was strange, however, was that while Taehyung was playing video games with Jin the following morning, he received a call from Key. Key _never_ called when they were arguing.

Taehyung scowled at the phone, watching it vibrate across the floor.

“You gonna answer it?” Jin asked.

“I… He doesn’t ever make the first move to apologize. No way am I going to answer it.”

“What if he realized he was in the wrong?”

“Not possible. Key-hyung’s ego is _way_ too big for that.”

“Coming from you, those are strong words,” Jin teased, crying out when Taehyung slugged him in the bicep.

“Shut up and let’s play.” He muted the phone and turned his attention back to the television, starting up their game again.

Twenty minutes later, his phone buzzed again. Taehyung scowled.

“It must be important,” Jin said softly. “He doesn’t call twice often, in my experience.”

“Well he can just fuck right off,” Taehyung snapped, ignoring the call again.

Jin shrugged, turning back to the television. This time, a text came through almost immediately. _‘Call me now. It’s urgent.’_

“Tae, I know you’re mad at him… But he seems really desperate to get ahold of you.”

“He shouldn’t have been so mean.”

Another text came through. _‘Please Tae. It’s Hobi.’_

Taehyung’s eyes widened at that. He grabbed his phone, opening it and dialing Key’s number immediately.

“What about Hobi-hyung?” He asked, rising and pacing through Jin’s apartment. Jin rose as well, watching him closely.

_“He never came home, Tae. He’s not with you?”_

“No, I’m at Jin-hyung’s. I have been since our fight. I left when he was working.”

“He was at the studio, right? With his class? He shoulda been home no later than five or six. You left at like four-thirty.”

“It’s almost noon. Have you called Yoongi-hyung?”

“Mhm, he hasn’t seen him or heard from him.”

“What about the main choreographer he’s working with?”

“I don’t have his number.”

“I do,” Taehyung said. “I’ll call him, see when Hobi-hyung left the studio yesterday. I’ll head home now.”

“Okay.”

Taehyung hung up, immediately scrolling through his phone as he went for his shoes.

“What’s wrong with Hoseok?” Jin asked.

“He’s missing. He hasn’t come home and Key-hyung can’t get ahold of him.”

“I’ll go by some of our friend’s places,” Jin offered, “to see if he holed up there, maybe he went out for a drink or something after work.”

Taehyung nodded. “Thank you.” He rushed out as he put the phone to his ear, digging his car keys from his pocket.

Hoseok wasn’t particularly famous – not idol level fame at least, but he did have a following big enough that they had recently upped security at their apartment. And worse – Hoseok was a creature of strict habit. He never changed his nightly routine without letting Key or Taehyung know that he’d be home late, where he was going. It wasn’t that they required it – Hoseok was a grown man and capable of caring for himself, but it was just a way they all showed affection. Even in the middle of their argument, Taehyung had informed Key he was going to Jin’s. He may have screamed it at him, but he still let him know. It was how the trio worked. And that was the frightening part of it. For Hoseok to be away nearly twenty-four hours without so much as a text to either boyfriend was abnormal even for their standards.

Taehyung rushed up to the apartment, rushing in. Key looked up, his eyes red rimmed though he’d never admit he’d been crying. He nodded at Taehyung.

“Yeah, thanks Jimin.” He hung up.

“Nobody’s seen him.”

“Jin-hyung is checking our common places too,” Taehyung said.

Key rose and hesitated. He shook his head. “I’m sorry for fighting with you yesterday, Tae. Going through this alone has been…” He stopped, his eyes welling. Taehyung circled the coffee table and hugged him tightly.

“I get it, you don’t have to say anything. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I shouldn’t have been so bratty.”

Key pushed Taehyung back a bit only to kiss him hard. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Taehyung whispered. He buried his face in the crook of Key’s neck. “What do we do?”

“Well, Jin-hyung will keep us updated I’m sure. We’ve already called everyone we know. I think the next step is to start calling hospitals.”

Taehyung’s stomach dropped at Key’s words, a cold chill coming over him. “You don’t think…”

“Why else wouldn’t he call us? An accident is better than a crazy fan, isn’t it?”

“I guess.” Taehyung rubbed his neck. “Okay. You take the hospitals on the west side of town, I’ll take the east.”

Key nodded. They sat close together on the couch, each searching up hospitals on their phones. When Key would dial a number, he reached over, setting his free hand on Taehyung’s leg. Taehyung did the same, squeezing gently as the phone rang. Again and again, they were told no, nobody here by that name, that description. As the hospitals dwindled, their panic began to increase.

“How many?” Key asked after hanging up once again.

“Two on my end.”

“One on mine,” Key whispered. Taehyung grabbed his hand.

“We’ll be okay. Hoseok will be okay.”

Key nodded. Taehyung could see him chewing the inside of his lip, and knew he was fighting back yelling or crying.

“Want me to make the last calls?”

“No, no. I’ll do it.” Key lifted his phone, scrolling through to find the last number. As he did, his phone began to buzz in his hand from an unknown number. Without hesitation, he answered it.

“Hobi?”

He hesitated, listening to the person on the other end. Taehyung nudged him, his face a question.

“One… One moment, ma’am.” He put the phone on speaker.

“Okay, sorry, yes, My name is Kim Kibum.”

_“Oh, good, I’m Jisoon, a nurse at Asan Medical Center. Do you know a Jung Hoseok?”_

“Yes, yes,” Key cried, his voice cracking. “That’s my partner, is he there? Is he okay? We’ve been going crazy looking for him.”

_“Oh, I’m so sorry. Yes, he’s here. He’s fine, just recovering.”_

“What happened?”

_“Well, I’m not at liberty to say over the phone, but he is okay. He’s asking for you to come by.”_

“Of course, tell him me and Taehyung will be right there.”

 _“Kim Taehyung?”_ She asked.

“Yes, that’s me,” Tae said. “Key put you on speaker, sorry – I’m… I’m a friend.” Taehyung stuttered, not wanting to out them to a stranger.

_“Of course, thank you. I was going to call you next, he requested both of you. I’ll let him know you’re coming.”_

“Thank you so much, ma’am,” Key said. He hung up and Taehyung grabbed him in a hug.

“He’s okay.”

“He’s okay,” Key repeated. “But what the hell happened?”

“Guess we need to go find out.”

Key nodded. “I’ll drive.”

“No, I can, I’m faster on the roads,” Taehyung argued, rising and pulling his shoes on.

“Yeah, but my car is more comfortable and smaller, so I can get in between other cars easier.”

“Which does nothing when you drive like a grandpa,” Taehyung said.

“I do not drive like a grandpa! You drive like a maniac—” Key stopped short, his angry expression turning a little sheepish. At least one thing doesn’t change no matter what, does it?” He asked.

Taehyung scowled, ready to snap, then relaxed, chuckling. “I suppose it doesn’t. I’m still driving.”

Key rolled his eyes deeply enough that Taehyung only saw the whites of his eyes for a moment, but said nothing further. They pulled their shoes on and headed out silently.

On the way to the hospital, Taehyung tried to be mindful of the road, not wanting to panic Key further.

“Do you… Think we fight too much?” Key asked softly, picking at a spot on his pants.

Taehyung hesitated, unsure how to answer. His gut reaction was to say yes, but that’ wasn’t quite right. He sighed. “Yes.”

Key looked over, his expression gentle. “Are we good boyfriends?”

“Yes.”

“How can both be yesses?” He asked.

“Because I think that we do fight a lot, but there’s something about our fights. I can’t quite explain it. I love you and Hobi-hyung dearly. Even with our fights, even when I storm out or you shut yourself in your room. There’s never a time where being anything else but your boyfriend crosses my mind. Never that it would be easier to break up with you, never that we shouldn’t date. Even though we fight, I’m fully dedicated to you two. That’s why I think that we fight a lot, but we are good lovers. We are good together.”

“Being alone last night… I think I realized just how important you and Hobi are to me. Thinking that you two might not come home to me, I—” Key stopped, swallowing hard. Taehyung reached over and grabbed his hand.

“I don’t care how much we fight, Kim Kibum. I will always come home to you. I love you,” he said firmly.

Key nodded, drawing in a deep breath. Taehyung squeezed his hand. “We’re here.”

He parked and they got out, hurrying into the hospital and heading to the front desk.

“We’re here for Jung Hoseok,” Key said in a rush.

“Ho.. Oh! Yes, just one moment.” The nurse stepped away, tapping another on the shoulder and pointing to the two. She nodded and approached.

“Mr. Kim?”

Both Taehyung and Key nodded. “That’s us.”

“Great. Come on, Mr. Jung is waiting for you.”

“What happened?” Key pressed again as the nurse led them through the hall.

“Well, his friend brought him in last night. He’d had far too much to drink and wasn’t responding to his friend. He was concerned about alcohol poisoning.”

Key’s shoulders sagged. “What?”

“Does your friend have a drinking problem?” The nurse asked.

“No, not at all,” Taehyung defended. “He drinks a little, just like everyone, but he’s a lightweight.”

Key chuckled. “That’s true, two beers and he’s rosy cheeked singing love songs. Three and he’s out.”

“His blood alcohol was far higher, but he also assures me it’s not routine. But you know how it is, just being safe. Here he is.”

“When can he come home?” Taehyung asked before opening the door.

“He’s fine to be released this afternoon, just as long as some of his final blood work clears. We’re waiting on it from the lab, so it shouldn’t be too long. He said you two would be worried though, so he was pretty desperate for us to call you.”

Taehyung nodded. “Thank you.”

Key pushed open the door and the two stepped in. Hoseok was in the hospital bed, sipping some water and flipping through television channels. He looked over when the two entered and his eyes widened.

“Key-hyung! Tae, thank God you came.”

Key rushed up to him and punched him in the arm. “You had us worried sick, you asshole,” he snarled.

Hoseok winced, rubbing his arm. “I deserved that.”

“You deserve more than that,” Tae growled. “What were you thinking? You could’ve died. Why didn’t your friend call us?”

“He didn’t know to. It’s a guy from work, he’s never met you two, he’s relatively new. We went out for drinks and I got too drunk. My phone broke, so when I passed out he took me to the hospital. He probably didn’t even think to mention you guys to the nurse.”

“Why were you drinking so much?” Key asked. “You’re not a heavy drinker.”

“No, but I was stressed. I just wanted to relax and not have to worry.”

“About what?”

“My idiot boyfriends,” Hobi muttered.

Taehyung’s shoulder’s slumped. “You were mad about our fight?”

“I wasn’t mad. I love you both. But sometimes I get so tired of being the mediator. So I went out drinking with a friend and hoped you two would figure your bullshit out on your own. I know you two work different than other couples. The fighting seems to energize you and that’s fine. I love you and even though I don’t get it, I can handle it. It’s when you get _me_ involved in them. The little stuff is fine but sometimes I just want a break, you know?”

“Hobi, we didn’t know,” Key whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“I had no idea,” Taehyung said. “We never meant to make you feel that way.”

“I know you didn’t. And I planned on talking to you about it, once I had sorted myself out in my head. It’s not something that’s been bugging me for a very long time, just recently it’s been a lot. I just ended up drinking too much and…” He shrugged. “I’m sorry I worried you too. It wasn’t fair of me either.”

“I get it,” Key whispered. “You were stressed. We weren’t being good boyfriends. We’ll work harder to keep our fights between ourselves.”

“Or just have less of them,” Taehyung offered.

“Hey now, let’s not get crazy.” Key laughed as he spoke, and Hoseok laughed. He reached out and grabbed their hands.

“You two have made up?”

“It was a dumb fight,” Taehyung said. “I was being bratty and Key-hyung was right. I shouldn’t have stormed out anyways.”

“I’m glad you two figured it out. I should be getting out of here soon… Can we all go home together?”

“Of course, we’ll be here with you when you get out,” Taehyung promised. “I gotta call Jin and let him know everything’s okay.”

Hoseok nodded. He pulled Taehyung forward, kissing him gently. “I love you.”

“I love you too… No more drinking gallons though, okay? You are a lightweight.”

Hoseok laughed and nodded. “Deal,” he said, letting Taehyung go to make the call to Jin. Taehyung hesitated, watching him share a gentle kiss with Key.

He and Key would always bicker; it was their nature. And Hoseok would always be their mediator, as it was his nature as well. But as long as they worked together, as a trio, to make things a little more peaceful – or at least a little smoother, things would continue to look up for them. Those two had Taehyung’s heart, and he knew he’d do anything to make it last forever… Even if it meant eating his pride every now and then.


End file.
